Ontario Women’s Justice Network

Post Archive

When partners separate, there are legal rules for dividing the property that they had during their relationship. The rules for dividing family property can be very complicated. If you are in this situation, it is recommended that you get legal advice from a family law lawyer.

If you and your child’s other parent separate or do not live together, you must make plans about your child’s daily life and where your child will live. If you cannot agree, either parent can apply to Court for a custody or access order. This article discusses what custody and access means under the law.

ARCHIVED CONTENT (HISTORICAL) 2010 Quebec Premier Jean Charest has proposed legislation which, if approved by the National Assembly of Quebec, would deny essential government services, public employment, educational opportunities, and health care to people who wear facial coverings. Bill 94 specifically targets Muslim women who wear the niqab (face veil). The bill is an exaggerated […]

Many people and organizations use social media like Facebook and Twitter to communicate. So do we. But there are specific safety considerations you should know about to maintain your privacy when using social media. Check your Facebook privacy settings to make sure you’re comfortable with the information other people can view about you. Check them […]

Your activities on the internet can be tracked by somebody who wants to control you or find out what you’ve been doing online. The suggestions below can help you cover your tracks as you use the internet. Please remember that none of these suggestions can protect you completely and you may want to use more […]

This article provides some helpful tips for working with a lawyer and suggestions for what to do if you are having problems with your lawyer. For more help finding a lawyer, see the article Tips for finding a lawyer.

Ontario’s Domestic Violence Court (DVC) is a special program for handling domestic violence cases in the criminal justice system. The Domestic Violence Courts try to simplify the prosecution of domestic assault cases, provide more support to victims, increase offender responsibility, and provide early intervention. The program was started around 1996.

This article explains what a Publication Ban is and discusses how and why they are used in sexual assault cases. Sexual Assault can be any unwanted sexual touching or sexual activity done intentionally without your permission (consent). It can include attempts and threats of unwanted sexual contact.

There are laws in place to protect the privacy of sexual assault survivors in Court. This guide will explain what the law says about when an accused can see private records of survivors and how they get access to them.

“Sexting” commonly refers to sending messages that are meant to be sexually exciting through text, email, or social media (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.). “Sexting” can also include sending someone sexual pictures and/or videos. Sharing a sexual/intimate image of yourself or someone else can have big impacts.

The Integrated Domestic Violence (IDV) Court was created in Toronto in 2011 to deal with both family law and domestic violence (criminal law) cases. The IDV Court hears certain types of family law cases and domestic violence cases on the same day and in the same courtroom with one judge.

For youth under 18 years old, there are different rules for when you can legally consent to sexual activity, depending on your age. Read morebelow about what Canadian law says about what age you have to be to give valid consent to sexual activity.

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Information on OWJN is not legal advice

OWJN contains general legal information only. OWJN does not give legal advice. If you need legal advice, you should contact a lawyer, who can help you make decisions about your legal rights. You may be eligible for legal advice from a community Legal Aid clinic.